


Summer Lovin'

by Meatball42



Series: Rare Pairs [151]
Category: Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes
Genre: Crushes, F/M, Multi, Open Relationships, Polyamory, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-18 02:03:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21703351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meatball42/pseuds/Meatball42
Summary: Jan's hook-up has a crush. Like any good datemate, she decides to help him out.
Relationships: Clint Barton/Janet Van Dyne, Clint Barton/Janet Van Dyne/T'Challa
Series: Rare Pairs [151]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/365729
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5
Collections: Holly Poly 2019





	Summer Lovin'

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lorax](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lorax/gifts).



One fine afternoon in New York City, Jan and Clint finished a lengthy make-out session in the roof pool and were sunbathing in a single huge deck chair. This had become a favorite pastime of theirs lately when neither of them were on-call, to the point that Clint’s farmer’s tan was actually beginning to even out a little.

In between sips of her margarita slushie, Jan liked to talk aloud about the goings-on in the New York fashion scene. Clint was great for this, because he had the perfect instinct for humming in agreement at the right moment or chiming in with colorful commentary.

He also didn’t react at all when she talked about the various people she’d hooked up with, or was hooking up with. It was a refreshing change from some of her friends who couldn’t seem to understand the concept of an open relationship. 

But Clint didn’t seem to have any hang-ups. After the first time they’d hooked up, when she’d told him about her arrangement with Hank, he hadn’t brought it up at all, and the way he'd brought up the Black Widow once or twice seemed to confirm that Jan wasn’t the only one with outside attachments. It made everything so much easier.

Maybe that was why, on this particular afternoon, loosened by judicious application of tequila, Jan asked, “Have you managed to hook up with T’Challa yet?”

Even though his sunburn, Jan could see the way Clint’s face instantly flushed.

“What? What are you talking about?” Clint asked with a forced chuckle. “I’m not—I don’t—”

Concerned, Jan sat up. “Clint?”

Clint turned away quickly, putting his feet on the roof. “I don’t know what you mean. I’m not interested in T’Challa.”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it. But I’ve seen the way you act around him, and the way he acts around you. I think you two would be cute together.”

Clint peeked over his shoulder. “You do?”

“Of course! He’s so quiet and mysterious. And hot, when he takes off that armor. Or when he doesn’t,” she considered, fanning herself.

After a moment’s hesitation, Clint laid back down on the lounger. “It’s hard to tell what he’s thinking. We keep getting paired up for patrols… or, maybe I’ve been getting us paired up.”

Jan giggled in appreciation.

“But he’s the strong and silent type. I can’t really get him to react one way or another. I really like people who are cool and confident and good at what they do. But what he does is… he’s a _king_ ,” Clint sighed. “Why would he be interested in me? And I don’t know how they do things in Wakanda anyway.”

“But you think he likes you?” Jan egged.

“Yeah, I think so. Or else he wouldn’t put up with me.”

Clint had what people called resting bitch face. Jan had gotten used to it, and never assumed he was grumpy even when he looked it. (There were a lot of other ways to tell when he was actually grumpy!) But when he talked about T’Challa, Clint actually smiled! It kind of looked weird on his face, Jan thought, but also it was totally sweet!

She decided that she was going to make this match happen.

“So, what’s your plan?” she asked excitedly. “I know all the tricks. You could invite him somewhere, just as a friend, and test the waters a bit. Or you could go big and ask him out in front of lots of people! Or,” she reconsidered, remembering who she was talking about, “you could take the classic route and ask him out in private, maybe with a bottle of wine. That might work better.”

Clint hit a button on the chair that unfolded a sun protector over them. Jan appreciated it; tanning was one thing, but going to a gala with a sunburn was _not_ on her list.

“I don’t know. He’s a… friend, maybe. I don’t want to mess that up. Especially since we just got the team back together.”

Jan had some more margarita slushie and thought about the dilemma. “I have some ideas... maybe even a whole plan.”

Clint looked over at her and smiled again. “Of course you do.”

Somehow it was even cuter when he smiled for her. Jan had to kiss him, and then, when things started getting a little too heated for the roof, she brought him down to her room.

  
  
  


When Jan went down to the Assembly Hall during T'Challa's next shift on call, the Black Panther was sitting at the monitoring station, perfectly still, watching the multitude of screens responsibly in the way only he and Steve ever did.

Jan wondered if maybe he had Netflix going under his helmet, and that was why he was always so patient.

His head turned briefly when she approached and sat down near him, and then he went back to his monitoring. Jan waited to see if he’d say anything, but quickly gave up. Trying to outwait T’Challa was a sucker's game, and Jan didn't like to lose.

“So T’Challa,” she opened. “What does Wakanda think about open relationships?”

“Wakandans respect each other’s privacy,” T’Challa said simply.

“That’s cool,” she commented, spinning her chair back and forth casually. “Have you ever been in that kind of relationship?”

Again, the unreadable mask tilted slightly toward her, then back to the screens. Somehow, Jan got a distinct impression of a raised eyebrow.

She was grinning when she left the Hall.

  
  
  


The next day, Jan was applying her make-up for an evening at an art show (she may have gotten a _tiny_ bit burned in the last battle, but she’d make sure no one noticed) when something crashed into her door.

Instantly, she was on her feet, her stingers charged and ready to go under her evening gown. She wrenched the door open, and—

Saw Clint, clutching a piece of paper and practically vibrating, his eyes wide.

“Where’s the fight?” she demanded.

Clint thrust the paper at her.

Jan took it. It was heavy, elegant stock, but the writing on it wasn’t calligraphic: it was a simple font, bold and easy to read.

_Mr. Barton,  
_

_If you are amenable, I would appreciate the pleasure of your company tomorrow evening at the Wakandan Embassy for a private dinner. Ms. Van Dyne is welcome as well, if the two of you see fit.  
_

_Yours,  
_ _T’Challa, King of Wakanda  
_

_PS: It is safe to assume that all public areas in the Avengers Mansion can be seen and heard by anyone with sufficient technology.  
_

“Excuse me, I’m going to pass out,” said Jan.

“Me first.” Clint muscled by her and collapsed face-first on her bed.

Jan stared at the letter for another few seconds, and then joined him.

"I guess we don't need the next three stages of my plan," she said faintly.

Clint just groaned.

“So, are you gonna come?” he asked a minute later, his words slightly muffled by Jan’s duvet.

“Uh, I don’t know how many kings ask you on dates, but I make it a policy to say yes when that happens,” Jan answered, still in a state of shock. “Oh my god, I don’t have anything to wear,” she realized.

Clint propped his head up to take a look at Jan’s over-flowing walk-in closet. Then he looked at Jan and the invitation in her hand, and his shock and apprehension slowly faded into another sweet smile. “This is gonna be a trainwreck, isn’t it?”

She had to kiss his cheek. “I can’t wait.”


End file.
